IT'S HERE, IT'S HERE! INTERNATIONAL YEAR OF THE CO-OPERATIVE!
A year long celebration of the amazing things that happen when people work together to meet a common need. Stay tuned for lots of great stories about co-operatives in New Brunswick and beyond! Happy IYC!
Minister of Justice supports a new Co-op Act for New Brunswick
A recent letter to the Co-op Ambassador Committee from Justice Minister Marie-Claude Blais congratulates the co-op sector for coming together in a bid for a new Co-op Act for New Brunswick. Following an advocacy campaign and meetings with government officials earlier this summer, Minister Blais confirmed her intent to “inform Cabinet of the challenges facing co-operatives and the need for new legislation” and has asked for the Committee’s help in drafting the new Act.
The Co-op Ambassador Committee brings together both English and French co-ops, credit unions and caisses populaires from across the province in a unified effort to bring about positive change for co-operatives. Minister Blais was impressed by the cohesiveness of the group and her letter stated that “Such unity contributes to the efficiency and effectiveness required to bring such a project to a fruitful conclusion.”
To begin the process of drafting a new Act, a Legislation Working Group has been established from within the Ambassador Committee that includes Dr. André Leclerc, Chair of the Université de Moncton’s Co-op Studies Program, Dr. Luc Theriault from University of New Brunswick’s sociology department, Leo LeBlanc, Corporate Secretary for Co-op Atlantic, Eric Tusz-King of the Canadian Worker Co-op Federation, Wayne Dempsey and Ken Elliot from Brunswick Co-op Housing, Melvin Doiron of Coopérative de développement régional -Acadie, and CECNB staffers David Daughton and Wendy Keats. The Legislation Working Group held their first meeting in late June to develop an action plan. Stay tuned for ongoing developments!
And a very special congratulations to the Ambassador Committee’s Co-Chair, Camille Thériault, for receiving the Ordre du mérite coopératif et mutualiste canadien at the joint CCA-CCCM Congress in Halifax in June!
News Flash
The Council offers a wide variety of services to help facilitate the continued success, growth, and competitiveness of co-operatives and credit unions in New Brunswick. Whether you're a new or existing co-operative, or are just interested in finding out more about how to start a co-op, the Council has something for you.
